Yoga and Stretching

Yoga and Stretching The Value of Yoga Poses to Include Yoga Tips by Age Integrating Curriculum into Yoga Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class

The Value of Yoga Yoga and stretching is a great activity to get the students in your class moving with intention. It enhances their flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, concentration, and body awareness. In addition it can also help children relax and have a sense of calmness. When doing yoga or any intentional movements with the body it aids children’s neuromuscular development, motor development, and development of vestibular (balance and spatial orientation) system.

Poses to Include

Poses to Include, cont.

Poses to Include, cont.

Poses to Include, cont.

Poses to Include, cont.

Yoga Tips by Age Toddlers: For this age try to do about 2-3 min of yoga. You might also have them practice some independence skills like putting their own mat out, and having them bring you their mat when you are done. You might also do your 2-3 minutes of yoga and then sit on your mats and sing songs. Twos: For this age group try to do about 5-6 minutes of yoga. If you are using yoga to help your class calm down see if you can keep them laying on the floor for an extra few minutes. See if they can stay laying down while you sing songs, or pretend like you are watching clouds in the sky.

Yoga Tips by Age, cont. Threes: For this age group try to do about 8-10 minutes of yoga. You don’t have to use yoga to relax your class you can also use it to get some energy out. Try doing speedy yoga and see if you can move from pose to pose quickly. Fours: For this age try to do about 12-15 minutes of yoga. If you have a large class you may even split the class in half so you have a smaller yoga group, half the class can do a quiet activity while the other half does yoga, and then switch. Use yoga to help your students with their writing skills, making big circles with their arms is a great warm up for a writing activity. You might also want to practice writing some letters and number in the air during yoga.

Integrating Curriculum into Yoga Have fun with yoga, it is a great activity. The students think this it is fun and can be silly, but it really is a great way to get their little bodies moving and developing. You are encouraged to make up a new pose of the month that is themed for the curriculum, for example “Mountain Pose” for forests and mountains curriculum. Use this as an opportunity to talk to students about how big mountains are and ask them to show how big they could make their bodies in mountain pose. Let your students get involved and see if they can come up with some poses to go with curriculum. This is a great activity to add to the physical section of your curriculum.

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class When doing yoga with your class set a relaxing mood in your room, speak in a relaxing tone, you may even want to turn off the lights. If you are using yoga mats be sure the student’s mats are spaced out so they have plenty of room to move. If your student’s feel comfortable they can take off their shoes (this may not be possible in all classrooms), you can remind them that this is one of the only times we get to take our shoes off and we need to keep them on the rest of the day.

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class Before starting yoga in your class you can just practice a few moves to get them acquainted with what you will be doing. You can talk to your class about yoga and use key words such as “relax”, “stretch”, “controlling our bodies”, and “concentrate”. Remind your students that there is no talking during yoga (unless asked to make a sound or noise).

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class When you are ready to start your Yoga practice with your class have them sit with their legs crossed on the floor with their hands folded in front of their chest and instruct the class that this is how you know they are all ready to start. There are several ways to start your yoga routine, it doesn’t always have to be the same, it is always good to mix up a routine. You can start standing and do a few rounds of standing and forward bending (this is a mini sun salutation). You can begin on your hands and knees in cat/cow, and transition into down dog and then standing.

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class You can also begin on the floor in a sitting or laying down pose. You do not have to use every pose in every routine you can pick and choose to make the routine best for your class, you will find that they will have their favorites. Prompt your class to do a pose by showing them and asking them to “make the pose”. For example you can say “can you make a tree, can you touch your toes, can you make a dog”. This helps them understand that they are using their bodies to “make” the pose.

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class At the end of your pose if you are wanting the relaxing effect have your students lay flat on their backs, you can transition into this from legs up the wall or any other pose. You can tell students to pretend they are sleeping, close their eyes and lay very still. You should lay on the floor with them and maybe sing a calming song or you can use this time to walk around and rub your students shoulders briefly. You can give students a stamp on their hand or sticker at this time if they have earned it. When you are ready to get up have your students wiggle their fingers and toes and slowly come up to sitting.

Implementing a Yoga Program in Your Class When you are ready to end your yoga time have your students sit like they began, legs crossed with hands folded in front of their chest. You should take this time to thank the students and tell them they did a great job. You can remind them that this is how we started and this is how we end, except this time we say thank you to our teacher and ourselves for our yoga.

This concludes the Yoga training, please reach out to your Program Director with any specific questions you have on this material.